In Exchange for Your Life
by TheInitiated94
Summary: Takes place during the 2014 game. Garrett goes to the House of Blossom and runs into a 23 year old prostitute named Esther. He shows unusual mercy on her, and in exchange for her life, he has her help him find the book. What he didn't expect, was for the girl to find her way into his stone cold heart. *Rated M for smut*
1. Chapter 1

**Okay. So. I'm starting another story. I may continue this…I don't know. It all just depends on the feedback I get. I'm going to be honest and say that I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but this popped into my head and I could NOT ignore it. This is a 'Thief' story. It's mostly based on the latest game, but it's definitely not following it. For example, Erin will most likely not be in this story. She just…annoys me to no end. There will be some familiar parts though. Just let me know what you think of it. Please. Also, this story takes off kind of fast. Just letting you know.**

** OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize. I only own my OC Esther and my own plot twists. If this is similar to anyone else's story, (I haven't really read much of 'Thief' fanfiction to be quite honest), it is purely coincidental and not intended. Thank you. Enjoy! **

**Chapter One (Third Person POV)**

Esther huffed and adjusted her breasts to make sure her cleavage was prominent. As she looked over herself in the mirror, her hand absentmindedly reached up and pulled on one of her caramel spiral curls. Her chocolate eyes roamed over her ruby dress once more just to make sure nothing was out of place. When she was finally satisfied, she gave her cheeks an extra pinch to bring in some more color and let herself out of her room.

Another night in this God-forsaken brothel. Esther never intended for her life to turn out like this.

When she was a little girl, she imagined growing up and getting married, having children, and growing old with her one true love. How incredibly naïve she was. When Esther's parents died of a robbery gone wrong when she was the mere age of 13, she was forced to become a child of the streets and become exactly what killed her parents.

A thief.

Esther started out small; an occasional morsel of food here and there to survive. Then she became bolder and started to pick-pocket a few civilians, but only the ones who could afford to lose a couple coins. She never stole from the less fortunate. At the age of 16, she discovered the House of Blossom Brothel, quickly realizing that a pretty girl such as herself could bring in more than half what she was stealing in a week in one night. Of course, she jumped at the chance to "Live a better life!", is how her fellow prostitutes put it.

How _incredibly_ naïve she was.

Esther made her way down the stairs, immediately swinging her hips more seductively as the many men came into her view. "Ah! There she is!" Bile rose into Esther's throat as she turned her attention to a repeating customer, James Hannigan.

She planted a seductive smile on her face and ran her finger down his chest. "Hello, James. Can't get enough of me?"

He smirked. "Never." James followed her as she pulled him to a nearby empty cubicle.

Another day, another dollar.

Esther pushed James onto the small twin bed and climbed on top of him, straddling him. "What'll it be, big boy?"

James groaned and gripped her hips to press himself into her center. Nausea reared its ugly head once more, but Esther pushed it away. Money is more important. "Whatever you'll give me," He groaned. Which she assumed meant everything.

With much reluctance, that's what she gave him.

* * *

Esther smiled and stuffed the bag of coins into the corset of her dress. "I do hope you'll come back, James," she said seductively.

"How could I not? You're the best bitch in these parts," James grunted, putting on his pants.

Esther frowned for a fraction of a second, resisting the urge to rip his small penis off. The seductive smirk returned to her face. "Well you run along now, big boy. I'll see you soon." She didn't give him a chance to answer before she began making her way back to her room. The night was still young, but she just couldn't take another one. She just couldn't.

Esther gasped and jumped as a hand suddenly gripped her forearm.

"Hey there, pretty lil' lady," a drunk guard slurred, barely able to stand.

"Let me go," Esther mumbled, hoping not to cause a scene. One of the sacred rules of the brothel was to never refuse a customer under any circumstances. But after seven years in this hell-hole, there was only so much a girl can take.

"Aw, come on, now." He pulled her body against his and started to kiss her neck.

Esther pushed away from him with all her might. "I said leave me alone!" The brothel went silent and immediately she regretted her words. She was in big trouble.

* * *

Meanwhile upstairs, Garrett swung silently into an open window of the brothel. He crouched and immediately began taking in his surroundings. It obviously belonged to one of the girls. Although dirty, the room was made up as feminine and clean as possible. It even smelled nice.

_That's a change_. Garrett smirked at his own thoughts. Most of these women were not even very pretty, and on top of that, smelled atrocious. This was one of the many reasons why Garrett never even bothered to come to this wretched place.

"I said leave me alone!" A muffled woman's voice screamed from downstairs.

Garrett's brow furrowed. _Well, that's different._

The sound of footsteps running to the room quickly pulled him back into action. They were approaching fast. He quickly jumped into the girls' closet and shut the door silently in just enough time to see a pretty girl stomp into the room, followed by a less pretty one.

"What the hell, Esther?" The not so pretty one hissed. "Do you want to end up on the streets again?"

Esther turned her back to her friend and fellow prostitute, Rose. Of course she didn't want to end up back on the streets, but a girl can only take so much. "I can't do this anymore, Rose," Esther whispered.

The Master Thief observed Esther from the crack's of the closet. His stone heart jarred to life at the poor girl before him. It was obviously the life she hadn't particularly chosen for herself willingly. Then again, who would?

Rose's expression softened immediately. "Oh, Esther." She walked up behind her friend and gently wrapped her arms around her resting her cheek on her shoulder. "You don't deserve this. You deserve so much better than this…I'm so sorry."

Esther's body shook with silent sobs for a while before she turned and faced Rose. "Go, Rose. I'll be down in a minute. I just…need a second."

Rose smiled gently. "Okay."

Esther sighed and sat at her bed, happy to be alone. Or so she thought. She suddenly felt like someone was watching her and her eyes immediately darted around her dark, candle-lit room. Esther stood from her bed slowly and looked around once more, her eyes landing on her closet.

_Shit._ Garrett's head swam. He didn't want to have to attack this girl, but if she pursued his poor hiding spot, he would have no choice. Esther slowly, and stupidly in Garrett's opinion, walked up to her closet with a scrutinizing gaze. She stopped in front of the intimidating door for a moment, and Garrett could see through the small cracks the internal battle on her pretty features. Her small, shaky hand reached out and she ripped the door open with wide eyes. She froze when she saw a man standing in her closet, not expecting anyone to actually be in there.

Her mouth opened and she took in air to yell. "Thief-"

Garrett rushed out and grabbed her, clasping a hand over her naturally ruby lips. They both tumbled onto the bed, him falling on top of her. "Shut up," he hissed through the black cloth covering him from the nose down. Her eyes widened in utter terror and she continued to struggle under him. "Stop it! Shut up or I'll kill you, I swear it!"

Esther immediately stilled and continued to look on him with wild eyes. Her chest heaved and her cheeks were flushed from the struggle._ Not again!_ Her mind screamed. _Please, God, not again!_ Her eyes roamed over the minimal exposed flesh of his face. He had some scars, she could tell, and his eyes were two different colors. Esther could tell that the brown was his natural, but his other eye…there was something different about it. She couldn't quite put her finger on what though.

"That's a good girl," He whispered. "Now I'm going to take my hand off your mouth. You better not utter a word, _Esther_, or I'll throw you out the window. That's a promise."

Esther shuddered as her name rolled off his tongue. She quickly nodded and he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. She obeyed and kept her mouth closed, not daring to test this man. Not after what she saw happen to her parents those many years ago.

"That's a good girl," He repeated. Garrett's mind reeled. It wasn't like him to show mercy, so why now? He was half tempted to throw her out the window just to get himself back, but he couldn't. Instead, he slowly got off of her and stood up off the bed.

Esther's body shook as she sat up, not trusting him enough to take her eyes off of him for even one second. "Just…just take whatever you want and leave," she whispered urgently. "Please, just-"

The Master Thief glared at her and she immediately shut up. "I'm not here to steal from you," his rough, baritone voice sounded from behind the cloth. "I'm here for something else."

Esther's lower lip trembled. _Is he going to rape me?_ Her body shook in fear at the thought.

Garrett noticed her newfound distress and had to hold back from rolling his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Her body visibly relaxed. "T-then what are you looking for?"

A sudden epiphany popped into his head. "I'm looking for a book. Maybe you can help me, in exchange for your life of course."

**AUTHORS NOTE: So…there you have it. Please review and let me know what you think of it, and be gentle. I'm really nervous about this one. Let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm honestly blown away at how much feedback I got for this story. Thank you guys so much! I just…wow. I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this story but with the amount of feedback I got, I just have to!**

**_Thank you so much to:_**

**_Guest, Guest, GuestThing, Nyans,_**

**_SkylerCrisis, Guest, Shadowhunter678,_**

**_and TiraLu for your wonderful reviews!_**

**_Those of you with accounts will be receiving PM's shortly as a personal thanks:)_**

**Also, thank you to all of the people who took the time to follow and favorite!**

**Warning: Sexual content **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two**

"You…you want me to help you steal something?" Esther's thieving days were far behind her, and she didn't want to go back.

"If you want to live."

She chewed her bottom lip, clearly weighing the options. "Well…well what if I don't want to live?"

That caught Garrett off guard. Was she _seriously _considering asking him to kill her anyways? "I don't understand," he said honestly.

Esther stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. "Seven years I've been in this hell. If you want my help with whatever it is you need my help with, you either have to kill me or get me out of here." She tried to sound confident, but her voice was unsteady, giving away her feelings of distress.

The Master Thief narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not going to kill you."

Hope swelled within the young prostitute. "So…so then you'll help me get out of here?"

"What the hell do you think I am, girl? I'm a _thief_. Not some-"

"I _know_ what you are. Your…_kind_ killed my parents. That's the whole reason why I'm here. Because of people like _you_." Esther bravely took a step closer to him catching the thief off guard and making him step back slightly. "The least you could do is help me out."

"I don't take orders, and especially not from any _whores_."

Esther scowled. She wasn't scared anymore. She was _angry_. "How dare you. How _dare _you! It's because of you _rats_-"

A sudden bang came on Esther's door. "Esther?" It was Rose. "Esther you really need to come down!"

Garrett stepped forward and gripped her arm. "Let her in."

"What are you going to-"

"Just _do _it." He crouched and hid in the corner behind the door.

Esther hesitantly reached for the door and opened it. Rose shoved her way past her. "What are you doing? Everyone is wondering-"

The Thief came out from behind the door and hit Rose on the back of the head with a club, gently laying her in Esther's closet.

"Was that necessary?" Esther hissed.

"We can't have her following us around and causing suspicion." The Thief stepped into the light and Esther couldn't help but let her eyes run over his strong form. He wasn't _incredibly_ huge, but he was built well. She could tell he was very strong. He was also tall, about a whole head taller than her.

"Okay." She took in a long shaky breath and let it out. "About our deal-"

"We don't have a deal," he growled.

Esther looked at him with desperate eyes. "Please, _please_ just help me out. I'll do whatever you want! I just…I can't stay here anymore. I need your help to get out. Please."

Garrett looked at her for a long moment. He _could _use her help. She probably knew the brothel inside and out and that could help him for sure. But to let her go…she could turn him in. Have him arrested. Have him _hung_. He sighed. "Fine. But you have to do what I say."

A beautiful smile broke out on her face. "Yes. Yes, of course! Thank you so much."

He held up his hand. "Don't thank me yet."

Esther looked at him through her long lashes and nodded. "What's your name?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

She crossed her arms over her full chest. "Well _I'm _not going to continue to call you thief. Just tell me."

He paused. "Garrett."

"Garrett."

He almost shivered with the way his name rolled off her tongue. "I'm looking for a book."

Esther almost laughed. "A _book_?"

"Not just any book."

"Um…okay."

"It's hidden deep under this building. Do you know of any secret passages that lead down to under the building?"

Esther chewed on her bottom lip. "There's…um…there's one in the Madame's office. Behind a picture next to her bed."

Garrett nodded. "Alright. You…you wait here."

Her brow furrowed. "But I thought I was helping you! I thought you were going to-"

"I'll still get you out. You helped me plenty by telling me where the passage is. You promised to do whatever I said."

Esther struggled to believe him. He _was _a thief after all. "You…you'll really come back?"

She looked so torn to Garrett, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "I promise."

Esther nodded. "Well…what am I supposed to do?"

"Go about your normal buisness. I'll find you when it's time to leave."

* * *

Esther is a very patient person, but it felt like Garrett was taking an awfully long time. _He probably left without you_, her mind kept saying over and over.

She sighed in annoyance as the man she was straddling kissed her neck. The man took it as a sigh of pleasure and thrust into her more harshly, causing Esther to wince in pain. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks but she held back, pushing away the thoughts of the mysterious man that she put all of her trust in.

* * *

Garrett made his way back through the passage, book in hand. As much as he hated himself for doing it, he had a promise to fulfill. The Master Thief looked to the many peepholes to try to find the room that the girl was in. _Where the hell is she?_

He was about to call it quits when he heard a soft feminine voice that he recognized. He made his way over to the peephole that it was coming from and looked inside to find Esther straddling a brute man. Esther let out an annoyed sigh, but Garrett could see that the man misunderstood it and started to thrust into the poor girl more roughly than before.

Esther winced in pain but managed to keep her composure, and he could see tears threatening to spill from her brown orbs.

"You like that, don't ya?" The man growled.

"Y-yes," Esther gasped in pain.

Garrett has heard enough. He made his way over to the secret door that lead into the bedroom, knowing that the man was too distracted to really notice him opening it. The thief quietly pushed the door open and crouched down into the shadows.

Esther and the man both heard the creak of the door.

"The hell was that? We're busy in here!" The man yelled before he continued to roughly have is way with Esther.

Hope filled Esther's body. Could that possibly be Garrett?

Garrett crept up behind the man with his club out, and hit him hardly in the head. Esther shrieked in surprise and quickly covered herself with a sheet. "You came…"

His eyes moved over to her. Her curly hair was disheveled and her cheeks are flushed from intercourse, and he couldn't help but feel a stirring inside of him that he hasn't felt in years. Garrett pushed it away. "Get dressed. I told you I would get you out. Hurry up before I change my mind."

Esther threw the sheets off her shamelessly and started to put her dress on.

"No," Garrett said, stopping her. He picked up the other man's pants and shirt and threw them at her. "It will be easier if you were wearing pants."

She eyed the clothes with disgust before she reluctantly started to put them on, giving Garrett a short nod when she was ready.

They carefully and quietly made their way through the brothel until they were able to make it out without being seen.

"That was…a little too easy," Esther whispered as they made their way through the deserted dark streets. Garrett remained silent, hoping that she would take the hint and decide to leave. "So, what now?" she looked at him expectantly.

"The deal was I get you out. Now it's time for you to go." He roughly pushed her against the wall with a hand wrapped around her throat. "If I find out that you told _anyone _about me, I will find you and kill you. Do you understand?"

She looked at him with panicked eyes. "Who do I have to tell?" Her voice rasped as she struggled for breath.

Garrett let go of her and she coughed for air. "Get out of here." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" She cried out following him. "Where do I go?"

He kept walking and ignored her. "I don't care."

"I'll have to sleep on the streets."

"Not my problem."

"But our deal-"

He turned and gripped her arm. "The fucking _deal_ was that I get you out. I'm not playing babysitter. Frankly, I don't give a shit what happens to you after this. You're not my problem anymore, and you are making me regret ever helping you."

"So then why did you?" Esther challenged. "Why did you help me then? You can't be as bad as you are making yourself out to be."

He scowled under the black cloth still covering his mouth. "You underestimate me."

She leaned forward so closely that she could feel his breath hit her face from under the mask. "Then kill me."

His hand on her arm gripped tighter, making her wince in pain. She blushed as his eyes roamed around her face and her brow furrowed in curiosity. Esther's hand suddenly reached up and she pulled his mask down, and surprisingly he didn't even flinch. It was as if he expected her to do so. Garrett was older than her, but not by much. He was also very handsome, making Esther blush even redder. She hoped that he couldn't see it in the dark.

Garrett smirked at her reaction, as if he could read her thoughts. "Alright. You have one night. Don't make me regret it." He abruptly let go of her arm and started to walk off. Esther stood in shock, watching his retreating form. He turned around and placed the mask back on his face. "You better keep up, Esther." And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, Esther now not too far behind.

**AUTHORS NOTE: I know that there wasn't any super intense dramatic escape or whatever from the brothel, but the brothel was never the main focus of my story. Sorry if you wanted more action and you're disappointed. But anyways, thank you for reading! Make sure you take the time to review. It doesn't take much of your time, and I would really appreciate it! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow. Again, thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it! There is one thing I would like to address:**

**GuestThing: You are quite right. I am mistaken. I wasn't really thinking when I wrote that part, but you are correct! I imagine Garrett would be in his mid to late 30's, possibly early 40's. I hope that clears up some things. Thanks for pointing it out!**

**_Thank you to:_**

**_GuestThing, Hawk'sFeathers,_**

**_BunnyNinja, SkylerCrisis, Shadowhunter678,_**

**_And TiraLu for your wonderful reviews!_**

**Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One**

**Enjoy! Follow! Favorite! Review!**

**Chapter Three**

The clock tower wasn't anything special. If anything, it was run-down, dusty, dirty, and in poor shape. But it was Garrett's. Esther quite liked it. In fact, she would take the clock tower over the brothel any day.

Esther walked around the clock tower and admired the treasures that Garrett had on display as if it were a museum. She reached out and let her fingers run over the golden plates that he took off the city walls.

"Don't touch," Garrett growled, suddenly behind her.

Esther whirled around. "Sorry…they're just so beautiful." Garrett merely grunted in response before he turned and started to walk up the stairs. Esther hesitated before she decided to follow him. "So where do I sleep?"

Garrett threw himself on his bed, landing on his back. He locked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "There's plenty of floor."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What a gentleman," she mumbled.

"You're free to leave at anytime."

"Yeah, and go where?"

He shrugged, his eyes still closed. "I'm sure you can find a man somewhere more than willing to open up his bed for you, as well as your legs."

Esther should've felt insulted. She should've walked right over to him and slapped him in the face, but she couldn't. She burst out into laughter while sitting on the floor and propping herself up against the wall. "I'm sure I could, but my legs are closed for the evening." _For a long while, actually,_ She thought to herself. Garrett once again grunted in response, conversation between them dying off into an awkward silence. Esther closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall in attempt to find some sleep, but her brain wouldn't allow it. She was _finally _out of that brothel. She was _free_, and she never would've guessed that it would be a thief that would be her hero.

Esther rather liked Garrett. She had only known him for a few hours, but there was just something about him that drew her in. He was charming, whether he knew it or not, and the permanent smirk that played on his full, soft looking lips didn't help either. The scars on his face only piqued her interest in him, as well as his strange left eye, aspects that should've pushed her away from him, but only pulled her closer. She turned her head and looked at his now sleeping form and smiled slightly. _Don't get too close_, her mind warned_. You don't even know this guy. You don't know what he's done. _Esther frowned and stood up, deciding that sleep was never going to come. She decided to go downstairs and once again ogle at his many found treasures.

"Where do you think you're going?" Garrett said, making her jump in surprise.

"I…I can't sleep. The floor isn't comfortable. I just want to look at your stuff." She was suddenly very nervous. Not nervous in the sense that she thought he was going to hurt her, but nervous in the sense that he was _looking _at her. A stranger shouldn't have this kind of effect on her, but she couldn't help it. Her heart fluttered in her chest as his eyes scrutinized her form in the darkness.

Finally, he leaned back and closed his eyes once more. "Fine."

Esther crept down the stairs and once again walked by his treasures that were on display. She made her way over to the open window on the other side and rested her elbows on the sill, looking out at The City. She could see _everything _from here. The view was incredible. She sat down on her knees and rested her forearms on the sill and rested her chin on her hands. As the fresh air blew on Esther's face, she felt her eyes grow heavy, and she eventually fell asleep.

Garrett woke up with a start early the next morning, suddenly remembering about the girl. He got up from his bed and made his way down the stairs, finding that she had fallen asleep at the window sill. Her curly caramel hair covered half her face and he daringly reached forward and brushed it out of her face.

Esther startled awake and grabbed his wrist, narrowing her eyes at him. "What are you doing?"

He glared at her and ripped his wrist from her grasp. "It's time for you to go."

Her face fell into a deep, sad look. "Oh. Well…okay."

He turned his back to her. "Follow me."

Esther reluctantly got up and followed him from the clock tower to the streets of The City. They hid in the shadows awkwardly. "Um…thanks for letting me stay last night."

"Okay."

She chewed her lower lip in thought for moment before hesitantly leaning up on her tip-toes and giving him a peck on the cheek before walking away. Esther suddenly stopped and turned to him. "Will I ever see you again?"

"No," was all he said before he disappeared.

Esther's heart sank. He was the only one she trusted in this city, and she'll never see him again. She began to walk to the nearly empty streets, contemplating her options. First things first, she needed money.

Esther made her way into a small, surprisingly well-kept inn. She tentatively walked over to who she thought was the inn owner, but before she could speak up, the door opened with a slam.

"Good afternoon, Gerard!" A heavy weight man walked into the inn and his eye's landed on her. "Well, well, well! Who do we have here?" he leaned on the table next to her. "Are you providing company for your customers now, Gerard?"

Gerard's, gaze snapped over to the burly man. "Oh, come off it Bosso. Leave the poor lass alone!" Gerard turned his attention to her and smiled apologetically. "Well 'ello miss. What can I do ya for?"

"I was…I was wondering if you were looking for someone to hire?"

The man looked at her scrutinizing. "I just lost my cook this mornin'. Can you cook, miss?"

Esther's heart swelled. Her mother taught her to cook at a young age. "Yes, sir!"

The man smiled warmly. "Wonderful, miss! The name's Gerard." He stuck out his hand for her to shake, which she took tentatively.

"Esther, sir."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Please, call me Gerard. You'll start tomorrow, Miss Esther. We aren't so busy the rest of the day so I reckon I won't need you till then."

Tomorrow? Where will she reside until then?

Gerard took notice of the worried look that spread across her features. "Whatever is wrong, Miss? Have you got nowhere to stay?"

"N-no, sir."

He nodded shortly. "I'll tell ya what. As part of your payment, you can stay in one of my rooms. How does that sound?"

Esther broke out into a smile. "I would so much appreciate that, sir…I mean, Gerard."

He smiled and walked over behind his desk, grabbing a key. "Room 103 upstairs, Miss."

She thanked him again before casting a glare at Bosso, and made her way up to her new residence. It was a warm and cozy room with a fireplace in the corner, and a small full-sized bed on the other side. It was a lot more than she expected. Aside from her childhood home, this is the nicest place she has stayed at in years. Her face suddenly turned into a frown. There was only one problem.

It wasn't Garrett's clock tower.

* * *

"I tell ya, Garrett, she was a sight for sore eyes." Bosso dug around on behind his make-shift desk looking for something.

The Master Thief fidgeted with the book he had stolen for Orion. Frankly, he could care less who Bosso's flavor of the week was. Bosso was the closest thing that he had to a friend, but what the man didn't understand was that Garrett wasn't one to talk much.

"The lass said her name was Esther."

Now that caught Garrett's attention. His eyes snapped up to Bosso. "What inn was this?"

Bosso smirked. "The Old Inn. That girl might be good for ya, Garrett. She acted shy, but I could sense a fire in her."

Garrett scoffed. "Shy my ass," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Bosso shrugged and took the book from Garrett's hands. "I'll make sure Orion gets this."

"What does he want it for anyway?" Garrett inquired, glad to talk about something else.

Again, Bosso shrugged. "I don't know, really. Something about saving The City."

Garrett scoffed once more. "Good luck with that."

Bosso laughed. "You got that right. Say, you lookin' for a job tonight, my friend?" He clasped Garrett on the shoulder.

The Master Thief thought for a moment before answering. "No. I have my own things to do."

"Suit yourself."

Garrett pulled up his mask and left without another word.

* * *

Esther crawled into bed and put out the candle on her nightstand. She sighed in contentment and snuggled into the covers. It was nice to be a clean, comfortable bed for once without some disgusting man trying to have his way with her. She could _definitely_ get used to this.

Esther turned so her back was to the window and felt her eyes begin to drift. Before she could fall asleep, she heard her window open slowly and quietly, but loud enough to get her attention. Her body froze in fear of what was trying to get in. A scowl suddenly replaced the look of shock on her face when she heard the quiet footsteps on the wooden floor.

She sat up in bed abruptly. "I have _had _it with you thieves-" Her words fell silent when she saw who it was. "What…what do you want? How did you find me?"

Garrett stood there in front of the window. "How are you paying for this? You have no money."

Esther crossed her arms over her chest. "I work here now. This is part of my payment."

A smirk played on Garrett's lips. "Already back to your old ways?"

Her mouth dropped in disbelief. "_Excuse_ me, but I am the cook!" When Garrett didn't respond, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Garrett didn't have an answer. What _was_ he doing here? "I'm a thief. What do you think I'm doing here?"

"Oh, Garrett." Esther stood up, still wearing the pants and shirt form the man at the brothel. "Don't steal from here, please? Gerard is a good man-"

"I told you, I don't take orders from whores."

Esther's shoulders sunk. "Is that you'll ever see me as? I had no choice."

"There's always a choice."

She scowled. "You have no idea what I've been through."

Garrett sat himself in the nearest chair. "Enlighten me."

"Why do you even care? Just leave, will you? I have to be up early." Esther lay herself back in her bed and turned her back to him. After a while, she checked over her shoulder to find he was still in the chair. She sighed. "When I was 13, a thief broke into my house. He was sloppy and noisy, so it woke my parents up. They went to check on the commotion and the thief stabbed them both. I came running to see what was going on and…" She bit her lower lip to keep from crying. "…they were dead. The thief jumped out the window, taking all of my mom's jewelry with him." She sat up in bed and faced him. "Again, I must ask, why do you even care? You don't seem the type to dabble in others' pasts."

"So you were working in the brothel since you were 13?" Garrett ignored her questions and inquisitions. Anger swelled in him towards the Madame for allowing such a thing.

Esther sighed. "No. For three years I was forced to live on the streets. I became a thief myself until I turned 16, then I heard of the brothel."

Garrett had no words. The silence between them grew awkward so he stood up, deciding to leave. Her soft voice stopped him.

"Garrett?"

He looked at her over his shoulder and waited for her to speak.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"No." Garrett opened the window and climbed out, closing it behind him and giving her a last glace through it before disappearing.

Esther smirked. Garrett was a very unpredictable man, but he had once said that before but then ended up seeking her out. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do so again, and she hoped it would be soon.

**AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry if Garrett seemed a little OOC, but I felt like it was needed. Anyways, let me know what you guys think of it! I love getting reviews. It really helps me to write the story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the longest chapter I have written for this story so far. I hope you guys like it!**

**_Thanks to:_**

**_MI Inglezis, SomeOtherPlace, TiraLu,_**

**_SkylerCrisis, Guest,_**

**_and Shadowhunter678 for your wonderful reviews! It means so much!_**

**Also, thank you to the people who took the time to follow and favorite! You guys are just as awesome.**

**JUST A NOTE: Garrett is a little OOC in this chapter too I think. Sorry if that's something that you guys don't like very much, but again, I felt like it was needed. Let me know!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Four**

Esther was up early the next morning cooking for the few people who were staying at the inn. Despite her comfortable accommodations, she slept quite poorly. Her mind raced all night, mainly trained on a certain thief. Why did he seek her out? More importantly, how did he find her? Esther wanted to think that it was merely coincidence, but with what she knew of him, it was hard to believe that _anything _he did was coincidence.

"Well!" Gerard walked into the kitchen, obviously surprised to see her up so early. "I thought maybe I'd have to come wake ya! Pleased to see that you're taking this seriously."

Esther smiled that the elderly man. "Of course, Gerard. I really do appreciate you taking me in on such short notice."

He smiled. "Just keep working, ya?" His eyes roamed over her tattered clothes, and he began to dig in his pocket pulling out a few gold coins. "Why don't you go get yourself a nice dress when you're finished here. No woman needs to be wearing a man's clothing."

Esther's heart swelled. "Oh I couldn't take that from you-"

"Please, take it!" Gerard smiled warmly.

She smiled back. In a lot of ways, this man reminded her of her father. Esther tentatively reached out and took the gold pieces. "Thank you so much, Gerard. I can't explain how much this means to me."

"My God, child. Have you never received a gift before?"

"Not in…not in about ten years, sir."

"Jesus…well this is well deserved then, ya?"

Esther shrugged. "Honestly I never thought about it till now…but seriously thank you."

He patted her shoulder comfortingly. "You're welcome lass."

Gerard left without another word and Esther stuffed the gold pieces in her pocket. Truth is, the woman was _ecstatic. _It's been so long since she has been able to buy herself anything, and with how many gold pieces this man has given her, she would be able to get herself something quite nice.

Esther rushed to finish the morning cooking and cleaned up her mess before saying a quick goodbye to Gerard.

"Get yourself something nice!" He said as she practically ran out the door.

Esther window shopped for about an hour before she came across a simple, blue, long sleeved dress that she simply could not pass up. She bought the dress as well as a short, white nightgown before heading back to the inn for lunch hour, proud of her new-found items.

* * *

Garrett crept through a small apartment that night for things to loot. There wasn't much, and he almost felt guilty for taking from someone who doesn't have a whole lot.

Almost.

He had to survive too, and as far as he was concerned, no one was innocent in this world. No one except for Esther.

Garrett shook his head to clear his thoughts of the girl. He had no idea why she kept popping up in his head from time to time, but it was really starting to become an annoyance. That girl was not his problem anymore, but then again she was, because she was always a reoccurring thought. He suddenly felt a tingling on his cheek where she kissed him yesterday. No one has ever committed such an act of compassion towards him in years. It was simple, chaste even, but it meant something so much more. Garrett still was having a hard time understanding why exactly he went to see her last night, and why he was having the sudden urge to go see her again.

After grabbing one last item, Garrett hopped quietly out the window before closing it silently behind him. He made his way across the rooftops towards The Old Inn silently and swiftly, acting as nothing but a shadow across the night sky. The Master Thief leapt across one last rooftop and landed right in front of Esther's window. He glanced inside to see that she had a candle lit on a nightstand next to her bed, with her sitting on her bed with her back to the window, hunched over what looked like a book. Garrett opened the window and before he could even put a foot down on the other side she spoke.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you how improper it is to sneak into a lady's room at night, Master Thief?" Esther turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and smirked. "The neighbors will talk. Rumors will spread. I have a reputation to keep up."

Garrett smirked and pulled down his mask from his face. "Well then, a mysterious man sneaking into your room will be just the thing to 'keep up' the reputation of a whore."

An over-zealous frown spread across her features. "Again with the name calling, Garrett, it's not very nice."

"I never claimed to be…_nice_."

Esther stood up from her bed and he realized just then how…_short_ her nightgown was. She didn't seem to notice his gaze on her legs as she walked over to the desk to set her book down. "No, I guess you haven't. I'm glad you're not a man to make promises you clearly wouldn't be able to keep." She walked back to her bed and sat down. "But that's why you saved me, right? Because you're not nice. And that's why you keep coming to check on me. Because you're not nice."

Garrett let out a throaty chuckle before he walked over to the chair that he occupied just the night before. "I'm not checking on you."

"Okay. I'll play along with your little game, Garrett."

"I don't play games."

"Of course you don't."

"Now you're just mocking me."

Esther ignored his last inquiry. "You know, if you would've let me stay in your clock tower with you, you wouldn't have to trouble yourself with coming here every night." Garrett merely grunted in response before pulling out one of his arrows and fidgeting with it. Esther watched him for a while before she finally decided to speak. "Do you do that often?"

Garrett's gaze remained on his arrow. "Do what?"

"Fidget with things when you are trying to avoid something."

His gaze snapped over to the caramel-haired vixen before him. "I'm a thief. I don't avoid."

"Now you're just contradicting yourself." Esther sat up on her knees. "You avoid light and remain in the shadows to avoid being seen. You even try to avoid yourself and your real feelings. Being a thief is all about avoidance."

Garrett smirked. This girl was cunning, indeed. "Well, if you know me so much better than I know myself, then you should know why I've been coming here. So, enlighten me."

Esther pursed her lips in thought. "I think it has to do with the fact that you're confused."

"Confused?"

"With your feelings."

Garrett rolled his eyes. It seemed like with women, everything had to do with _feelings_. "I'm sorry I ever asked." He got up and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Esther reached out and grabbed his cape. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on your toes, but you did ask."

"I really should get going."

"You don't have to. Please," she whispered desperately. "You can stay. I don't mind. In fact…" she bit her lip nervously, "I rather enjoy your company, Garrett."

Garrett remained with his back to her. No one except Basso has ever voiced their appreciation for him before.

"You're the only one I really trust," Esther continued after a moment. "I've been locked up in a brothel for the past seven years, and conversation was little to void. Rose," she shook her head. "she was a friend, but I never opened up to her. She knows only the basics of me. You know _everything. _I don't know why I ever told you what happened to me, but I did, and that's done and over with now." Esther's grasp moved from his cape to his forearm, forcing him to turn around. "I think that after all of that, you at least owe me your company."

Garret stared at her for a moment. "I owe you nothing."

"Fine," Esther said quickly. "Fine, you don't owe me, but please, don't leave. I'm practically begging you. You're my only friend in this dark world."

"I never said you were my friend."

"I never said you did either, but _I'm_ saying that you're mine. Excuse me for being just a little worried that you're going to walk away at any given moment and never come back." She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Just accept the fact that you actually matter to somebody for once for more than just your skill. You matter to me as a human being."

Garrett was genuinely taken-aback by her words. She barely knew him, yet she has placed all of her trust in him for reasons that were still beyond his comprehension. This woman had every reason to hate humanity with a burning passion yet she has chosen to befriend someone who was capable of ruining her life all over again. Instead of speaking, he gently took his arm from her grasp and sat back in the chair.

The corner of her mouth twitched into a small smile and she relaxed on the bed. "I'm glad you have decided to stay."

Garrett scoffed. "Don't make me regret it."

She smiled genuinely now. "I'll try not to."

They sat once more in an awkward silence. Esther proceeded to play with the hem of her short night gown and Garrett's eyes were inadvertently drawn to it. She now lay leaning on her right hand with her legs stretched out to her left, leaving them entirely exposed to his gaze. Garrett quickly averted his eyes before they could go any further.

"I'm rather tired," she blurted.

Garrett stood. "Then I'll leave."

"No, that's not what I meant." Esther pulled up her coves and got underneath them. She shuffled over to the opposite side leaving enough space for one other person. "Stay."

The Master Thief let out a sigh and shook his head. "You are growing too attached. I should've never-"

"_Don't_ make me sound like I'm some 5 year old going through separation anxiety, Garrett. Just…" She reached out to him. "Stay. Don't be so damn stubborn. And all I want to do is sleep. Nothing else…I promise."

Garrett turned his head and looked out of the window.

"Garrett-"

"I have things I need to do."

Esther sighed and dropped her hand down on the bed next to her. "Right."

Garrett put his scarf back over his face and opened the window. "I'll be…back tomorrow."

_Well_, she thought to herself, _at least he admitted it this time._

* * *

Esther couldn't fall asleep after he left. It was early morning now and the sun was just beginning to rise. Since Garrett departed, she had remained on her bed in the same position that she was in when he left; enough room for one more. She sighed and sat up on her bed, deciding that sleep was pointless now. After washing her face, throwing up her hair into an elegant bun, and putting on her new dress, she made her way out of her room and down the stairs to the main floor. It was still a little too early to begin cooking so she decided that some fresh air would do some good.

Esther walked about the streets breathing in the cool morning air. She found her gaze occasionally drifting up to the rooftops in search of a certain thief.

She outwardly rolled her eyes. _Get a grip on yourself! You're acting like a love-sick puppy!_

Esther was startled out of her thoughts by what she thought was footsteps behind her. She whirled around and saw that no one was there, merely shrugging to herself. She concluded that she was just hearing things and continued on her walk. After a few minutes of silent walking, she again heard footsteps behind her and she once again turned quickly in the direction of the noise. A stray black, shaggy dog suddenly ran out from the ally next to her causing her to jump in surprise.

The dog caught sight of her and Esther tentatively reached out her hand for him to smell. "Hey, boy," she cooed. "Where are your mommy and daddy, huh? Do you have any?" The dog whined and lay down on the ground in front of her, rolling onto his back. "Aw, you need a home, don't you?" She squatted down and began to rub the dog's belly. It was always a dream of hers to have a dog as a young child. "You wanna come home with me, love?" She giggled as the dog's ears perked up and his head cocked to the side as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I'm sure Gerard wouldn't mind havin' a dog around."

Esther shrieked in surprise and jumped up, turning around to find Bosso. The dog quickly got up and stood in front of Esther protectively. "You shouldn't sneak up on a woman like that," Esther said shortly, sending the man a glare.

Bosso chuckled. "I knew you had a fire in ya."

"Can I help you with something?"

The man shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Just taking my morning walk and happened to see ya. A lady shouldn't be walking around all by her lonesome. Something could happen."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"

Bosso's hands flew up in surrender. "No! No way would I mess with Garrett's girl."

Esther's brow furrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "First of all, I'm not his girl-"

"No?" Bosso interrupted. "He seemed pretty interested when I mentioned you were workin' at the inn." He gave a sly smile. "Has he come to visit ya yet?"

"Secondly," Esther ignored his last statement, "how do you know him?"

Bosso shrugged. "We go way back. I give him jobs here and there. He _has_ come to visit you, hasn't he?"

"I'm afraid that's none of your buisness."

Bosso chuckled. "You two are so similar. So stubborn and mysterious. How about I walk ya back to the inn? I was just heading there myself for breakfast."

They both began to walk and the dog obediently started to follow Esther. "You're going there just for breakfast?"

"It gives Gerard some buisness."

"That's…very noble of you."

Bosso chuckled. "I'm a better guy than you give me credit for, lass."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm not really good at making friends."

"And yet you happened to befriend the one person in this God-forsaken city that has a harder time making friends than you."

Esther sighed and reached down to pet the dog as we walked. "He's so confusing. He rescued me from the brothel and-"

"He _rescued_ you? You mean when he went to get that book?"

"Yeah. He got me out and then let me stay in the clock tower-"

"_He let you stay in his hideout_?"

"Can you just let me finish?" Esther said, growing frustrated.

Bosso shook his head. "You obviously have no idea how _big_ that is. Garret never takes people to his hideout. _Ever_. And he most certainly does not…_rescue_ damsels in distress."

Esther rolled her eyes. "Anyways, so the morning after he helped me out of the brothel he kicked me out."

Bosso looked at her. "The morning you got the job at the inn?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Every night since then he comes to visit."

The man smirked. "Ahhh. So _you're_ the 'other things he has to do'?"

"Excuse me?"

"Garrett comes to my place every night in search of a job. The past two nights he's said he has _other things to do_."

Esther visibly blushed. "Well…I…it's not what you-"

Bosso held up his hand to silence her. "No need to explain yourself to me, lass. I don't judge." He gave a short laugh. "I'm the last person to be judgin' anyone."

The girl smiled. "Thanks, Bosso. You were right."

"I often am, but how so?"

Esther laughed. "You're better than I ever gave you credit for."

"Well, what is it that those educated folks say? 'Don't judge a book by its cover', I believe."

"You are correct," she said as they walked into the inn. "Gerard!" she called out.

"Good morning, lass!" Gerard greeted coming down the stairs. "Oh, well hello, Bosso! And…who's this?" He turned his gaze to the dog.

"Oh…well…" she knelt down by the dog and scratched his ears. "I found him this morning. I was wondering if…if you would let me keep him? I mean, this is your inn, so I just wanted-"

"Lass," the elderly man smiled warmly. "I don't mind the dog. Just…he could do for a good bath, yeah?"

**AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry if this is a really abrupt ending, but that was the best cut-off point. Next chapter will be more of Esther finding out about Gerard and who he is. I'm really excited about it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think of this chapter. I REALLY appreciate it:)**

**P.S. When Esther was asking the dog where his 'mom and dad' were, I meant his owners, not his literal parents. I'm one of those weird people who are just crazy about dogs and…yeah. Like my dog Oliver is my baby and I'm his mom. Don't judge me! But anyways, I'm kind of putting myself into Esther in small ways…which I've never done. So…yeah. Esther is essentially my personality and everything. Just a little insight into her backroud:)**


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